Chapter 17

After everything had vanished, Do-Jin sipped on a healing potion and a mana potion to recover. Then, he began to read through the notifications.

[You have successfully conquered the hidden dungeon, The Magic Workshop Consumed by Evil, for the first time.]

[You have achieved a perfect conquest of The Magic Workshop Consumed by Evil.]

In LOST, being the first to discover a dungeon didn’t guarantee being its first conqueror. The result of a dungeon run often depended on how the process was handled. In that regard, Do-Jin’s run of The Magic Workshop Consumed by Evil was flawless. Not only was he the first to discover it, but he also became the first to conquer it.

This alone added bonus points to the rewards, but Do-Jin didn’t stop there. Both the process and the result of his conquest were perfect. Naturally, the bonus points on his rewards were multiplied.

[Achievement Unlocked: Exorcist]

[Reward: Bonus Points +5]

[First Clear Bonus: Increased Experience Gain]

[Perfect Clear Bonus: Increased Experience Gain]

The achievements netted him bonus points, and the experience gain was massive. He shot up three levels in an instant. For the average player grinding hunting grounds, leveling from 32 to 35 would’ve required ten days of non-stop hunting, barely pausing to eat or sleep. It had been tough, but just the experience gained was more than worth it, let alone the bonus rewards.

In LOST, “firsts” were heavily rewarded. This philosophy carried over to dungeon conquests. For first clears, the highest-grade item obtainable in that dungeon was guaranteed to drop. After the dungeon transitioned into a normal instance, players could run it ten or even a hundred times and still never see such an item. But a first conqueror would get it for sure.

Even for a Level 30 dungeon, the first-clear reward should be at least A-grade.

Anticipating his prize, Do-Jin approached the spot where the Magic Circle had been to check the dropped items. What he found was beyond his expectations. There were two items that glowed with a distinctive blue hue, likely the drops from this dungeon’s first clear and perfect clear.

[

Black-Stained Robe

]

Grade: B

Requirements: Level 35, Intelligence 120

Description: A robe designed for use in areas with high mana corruption. It features engraved physical and magical defense runes of decent quality.

+30 Physical Defense

+30 Magical Defense

+10 Intelligence

It was a mage’s robe. The bonus stats weren’t anything special, but its defense attributes were high. Considering how beginner mages often sacrificed mobility and comfort to wear regular armor just to survive, this robe was a godsend. With survival stats covered by a "mantle" slot, it left inner armor slots free for better customization.

Even if I don’t use it, selling this should fetch a decent price.

Satisfied, Do-Jin pocketed the robe and moved on to the next item. It was a sword with a blade stained dark red, as if soaked in blood that had long since dried.

[

Suspicious Ritual Sword

]

Grade: A

Requirements: Level 35, Intelligence 135

Description: A ritual sword crafted for executing live sacrifices. Once an ordinary blade, it became imbued with magical power from the countless victims’ resentment. However, an equally powerful curse accompanies it, so caution is advised when using it.

+45 Magic Attack

+45 Intelligence

-30 Physical Attack

-30 Health

“Wow.” Do-Jin inspected the sword’s stats and couldn’t help but let out a breath of admiration.

Its Magic Attack and Intelligence boosts were nearly double what any weapon at this level could normally provide. As expected of an A-grade item, the numbers didn’t disappoint.

Of course, the penalties were brutal, but thanks to all the bonus points he’d stacked up from his achievements, Do-Jin’s health was beefier than most warriors’. He could shrug off the downsides without breaking a sweat.

[

Do-Jin

]

Level: 35

Class: Grimoire of Truth

Strength: 14

Agility: 18

Stamina: 82

Intelligence: 197

Skills: (1) [View]

Traits: (1) [View]

Do-Jin’s current gear was a joke. He had a cheap beginner weapon that barely added +10 Magic Attack and a starter armor set he’d picked up at the gate. The stat boost from his new loot was absolutely night and day.

Aside from these two, nothing else stands out...

Still, that didn’t mean the rest of the haul was trash. Between sellable stuff like mana stones and random materials, the total value easily broke one thousand gold.

“Whew, looks like I’ve cleaned this place out.” Satisfied, Do-Jin shoved everything into his inventory and turned toward the passageway opposite the Magic Circle.

The path led to the workshop the dungeon’s master had used as a research lab, the final treasure room of this hidden dungeon. However, Do-Jin didn’t head straight for it.

No matter how tempting it is, I can’t just waltz in there without her.

Even he had some standards. Sisala had slogged through the same hell as he had, so he figured it was only fair to bring her along for the final reward. He picked up his pace, though an uneasy feeling started gnawing at him. The favorability notifications had been bouncing up and down, which could only mean that Sisala wasn’t calm right now.

If I treat her favorability spikes as mood swings... I’ll be lucky if she doesn’t throw a fireball at me the second we meet.

While he mulled it over, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from deeper in the corridor.

“

Huff... huff... huff

...” It was a familiar voice, out of breath.

How the hell did she get in here? Oh, right... the dungeon was cleared

.

The doors must’ve opened automatically.

Realizing what happened, Do-Jin snapped into action. He quickly stuffed his shiny new robe back into his inventory and started staggering like he was on his last legs, leaning heavily against the wall with a grimace plastered across his face.

The footsteps slowed as they got closer, cautious now. Sisala must have sensed his presence but wasn’t taking any chances.

“

Cough, cough

...”

To show her he wasn’t some lingering ghost, Do-Jin coughed weakly, making it clear it was him.

Her footsteps picked up again, faster this time. Moments later, a glowing orb of light appeared in the corridor.

“Do-Jin! Is that you?” Sisala’s voice called out, urgent and full of worry.

As she rounded the corner, their eyes met.

[Sisala Omen’s favorability has increased by 3 points, rising to 36.]

The instant she saw him alive, her expression softened. Relief washed over her face as her anger melted away, clearly overjoyed to see him safe. Seeing her so happy and relieved over his survival, Do-Jin felt a pang of guilt and a strange warmth in his chest.

His thoughts were cut short as her expression changed again.

[Sisala Omen’s favorability has decreased by 5 points, dropping to 31.]

[Sisala Omen’s favorability has decreased by 5 points, dropping to 26.]

Relief gave way to fiery rage, the kind that had clearly been bottled up until now. Not only was he alive, he was perfectly fine.

Oh, fuck me...

Do-Jin thought, his face twisting in dread. He knew exactly what was coming.

“Sisala...” he murmured weakly before passing out.

Of course, it was all an act, a performance of a man who had just barely clung to consciousness, only to let go after spotting his companion safe and sound. And it was effective.

“Do... Do-Jin!”

Sisala, who had been on the verge of exploding in anger, froze in her tracks and rushed toward him. Her face was now filled with worry. Slamming his head into the floor with a satisfying thud had paid off.

“Do-Jin! Do-Jin! Wake up!”

She grabbed him, shaking him frantically. In her desperation, she fumbled with a healing potion, spilling half of it on the ground as her hands trembled uncontrollably. Clenching her fists, she let out a shaky curse under her breath.

Do-Jin couldn’t hear every word, but it was clear she was blaming herself.

“Ugh...”

The guilt was too much. Groaning faintly, he let his eyes flutter open. The first thing he saw was Sisala’s face, her wide eyes trembling with emotion. She wasn’t crying, but her expression looked dangerously close to it, like someone desperately holding back tears.

“Why...”

Was this relief? Or was he about to get an earful? Either way, her anger seemed to have deflated, its sharp edges dulled by emotion. She didn’t even have the energy to form a proper sentence.

“Why did you do it?”

“Because it needed to be done...” Do-Jin answered weakly.

Sisala’s face twisted in frustration. “You know that’s not what I’m asking! Why did you try to take everything on by yourself—”

“Because it’s fine if I die, Sisala. But it’s not fine if you do.”

Her eyes went wide in disbelief. They were already large, but now they looked like they might pop out of her head.

“I’m a Regenian. You’re not. For me, death is just a reset. For you, it’s game over. I couldn’t drag you into something this reckless when I knew how much you’d lose.”

“I knew the risks when I decided to come here! And don’t give me that crap about Regenians treating death like it’s nothing! It still leaves a deep, soul-crushing scar! Don’t act like you don’t know that after being here for this long!”

“I know.”

His answer was sharp, cutting her off mid-rant. Sisala froze, stunned by his immediate reply.

“I know,” he repeated, this time softer, almost regretful. “The scars death leaves on the soul? They’ll heal eventually. But the pain of losing someone else? That never goes away. That’s why I went alone.”

The fainting might’ve been fake, but those words were anything but. Sisala could feel it, the weight behind his voice, the unshakable truth in his words. These weren’t just words from someone who understood loss. They were the words of someone who had lived it. How could she possibly blame someone who spoke like that, who looked at her with those eyes?

“This is the last time,” she muttered, her voice quiet and trembling. She lowered her head, avoiding his gaze. “I’m never doing this again. I’d rather lock myself in the Magic Tower forever than go through another heart-stopping nightmare like this.”

Her weak declaration hung in the air, and as if to punctuate it, a notification popped up.

[Sisala Omen’s favorability has increased.]

***

“Wow...”

Sisala’s eyes sparkled with excitement, a far cry from the drained, defeated look she had just a while ago.

The final room of The Magic Workshop Consumed by Evil—the research lab where the dungeon’s master once worked—was a sight that could make any mage’s heart race.

“What kind of person owned this place? Forget about what they were researching... Just look at all this equipment! It’s absolutely insane!”

She practically gasped as she took in the collection of magical tools. There were powders in every color imaginable, shimmering reagents that seemed to glow in the dim light, and gemstones so brilliant they could’ve been mistaken for treasures on their own. Sophisticated devices for refining, synthesizing, and combining materials were laid out as if this were the workshop of a god-tier alchemist.

While Sisala was busy gawking at the equipment and practically drooling over each new discovery, Do-Jin had his eyes on something else entirely, a bookshelf.

Most of the books were utterly useless, nothing more than glorified scraps of paper filled with dry theories and information that had no real value to him. But after a lot of digging, his persistence paid off, and he pulled out two spellbooks.

There’s no way this place wouldn’t have at least one or two treasures hidden in here.

[Tier 3 Spellbook: Spear of Earth]

[Tier 3 Spellbook: Gale]

Both were Tier 3 spells, the kind that were a perfect match for his level and skill set. While smirking, Do-Jin tucked the spellbooks into his inventory before turning back to the shelves, determined to see if there was anything else worth grabbing.

That was when he saw a faint wisp of black smoke snaking its way out from between the books. It looked like a scroll at first glance, but as he examined it more closely, he realized it was something far more unusual.

The material wasn’t paper but leather, layered and stitched together in a way that made it seem like someone had tried to create a spellbook but stopped halfway through. The irregular shape and strange design practically screamed that this was incomplete.

Do-Jin’s experience kicked in immediately. He knew exactly what he was looking at.

This is a half-finished spellbook.

These kinds of items were rare, and their forms were unpredictable. But for a veteran like him, it only took one look to know exactly what he was holding.

[You have obtained an incomplete spellbook containing the magical phenomenon “Cycle of Malevolence.”]

—

The amplification and circulation of resentment are giving rise to an endless stream of vengeful spirits. This isn’t magic. It’s a miracle born of countless coincidences stacking on top of each other. Damn it, I don’t even know if I can properly record this phenomenon...

[The record cuts off here. It appears the caster’s own soul was used as material to preserve this cursed scroll. This incomplete work documents an attempt to interpret the summoning of vengeful spirits caused by amplified resentment as a magical phenomenon.]

[Using this item has a chance to grant the spell “Summon Wraith.”]

[Time Limit: 59 seconds]

This was no ordinary reward. It could only be obtained by perfectly clearing the dungeon before the explosion. The incomplete spellbook was an attempt to distill the chaotic magic phenomena of the dungeon into something that could be studied and understood.

However, it was unfinished, unstable, and a total gamble. Whether it would grant a spell or end up being a dud was entirely up to luck. And with only 59 seconds on the clock, Do-Jin didn’t have time to sit around debating.

Unstable, incomplete, and probably cursed to hell and back... but there’s no way I’m letting it go to waste.

With no time to hesitate, he grabbed the spellbook and activated it. The leather sheets dissolved into a cloud of dark mist, swirling into an intricate Magic Circle in midair. The symbols and formulas flickered like a malfunctioning hologram, forming one moment and shattering the next like a chaotic storm of half-baked magic theories.

It felt like rolling the dice on a slot machine, complete with all the flashing lights and dramatic build-up. Success or failure all came down to this one spin.

[Spell acquisition failed!]

A big, fat failure.

These items were infamous for their miserable success rates. And while seasoned players like Do-Jin usually knew how to keep their cool, he couldn’t help himself this time.

“Goddamn it! Fucking RNG scam of a game!”

Do-Jin glared at the dying wisps of black mist as they dissipated into nothing. His frustration was written all over his face. But just as he was about to move on, something strange happened. A faint golden glow flickered through his Magic Circuits.